Identity Origins

Being a young Muslim female growing up in South Africa I consider myself a hybrid of influences. On the one hand that of Indian cultured, and on the other a practicing Muslim. I am intrigued by origins and that of pattern as it holds great importance among Indian females. Within this artwork I have used the representation of a carpet, a Muslim prayer mat (Mus’Allah). This carpet is something personal to every Muslim individual as it is used five times a day in prayer. Hence the carpet appears used and is fading. The embodiment of constant praying and usage is reinforced by the worn away piece of fabric that appears to be unravelling in certain sections. I have also introduced Islamic pattern in combination with Indian patterns as a means of embracing this rather odd identity. The medium in which the carpet in represented is through painterly processes as a means of introducing the love for praying within a confined space and that of something which is frowned upon, so that the two may provide a compromise.